Lubricating unit



V. A. MILLER LUBRICATING UNIT Jan. 14, 1941 Filed Jan. 20, 1940IINVENTOR. $26? Q. M?

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES LUBRICATING UNIT Victor A. Miller,Duluth, Minn., assignor of onehalf to Charles S. Olson, Duluth, Minn.

Application January 20, 1940, Serial No. 314,805

Claims.

This invention relates to an improved lubricating unit and method oflubrication, and has special reference to such a unit and methodparticularly adapted for the lubrication of the geared 5 surfaces ofintermeshing power transmission means such as the heavy duty gears usedin driving coal pulverizers, ore graders, rotary dry kilns, stonecrushers, or the like.

In such transmission means there is usually ing with a much larger gear,and it is well known that the matter of adequate and uniform lubricationfor such intermeshing surfaces is very important, and that irrespectiveof the type of gear employed, i. e., spur, helical, herringbone, or thelike.

The principal object of the instant invention is to overcome many of thedisadvantages of the present system of such lubrication, as Well asprovide as simple a device as possible for the purpose.

Another object is to overcome waste of lubricant as by drippage,splashing, or the like, as well as provide convenient means forinspection of the gears when desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, forming part of thisapplication, and wherein like reference characters indicate likeparts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention as applied to a pair ofgears, and Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure 1.

In the drawing the numeral I represents the smaller driving pinion, 2the larger driven gear, such as is commonly found in the arts abovereferred to, and 3 represents the pedestal upon which the pinion shafts4 is carried.

Upon the pedestal 3 and beneath the pinion I is mounted a trough likereceptacle, the end walls of which are illustrated at 5 and constructedof suitable sheet metal for the purpose, as is also the arcuately shapedtrough-like bottom 6, the same being spaced slightly below the lowersurface of the pinion and extending upwardly substantially asillustrated both in the rear and in front of the pinion, the rearportion preferably extending vertically to about a level with the top ofthe pinion, as at I. To the lower portion of thi rear wall is attached arelatively narrow auxiliary feeding trough, the upwardly arched bottomof which is illustrated at 8, and the end walls at II]. This auxiliarytrough communicates with the larger trough preferably as employed arelatively small driving pinion meshby elongated openings indicated at9, thus providing convenient means for feeding lubricant to the unit atany time.

The wall I is designed to extend materially above the end walls 5 of theunit as clearly illus- 5 trated in Figure 1, and back of this extensionand above same is designed to be pivotally mounted a shield or bafileplate indicated at I l, which, just above the upper edge of the wall I,is inclined inwardly towards the gears I and 2. the upper edge of thewall I the baflle II is provided with a drip moulding or angle indicatedat I2, the same being disposed transverse the bafile to function as aguard against any lubricant which may be splashed upwardly or againstthe 15 bafile II above the wall I dripping downwardly and backwardly ofsaid wall; the same being thus conveyed back into the trough.

The baille II is reinforced and supported as by suitable channel barsindicated at I3, one upon 20 the back face of either end thereof, andwhich bars extend downwardly to approximately a level with the bottom ofthe trough 6 and there each connected as at I4 to one end of acontractile helical spring indicated at I5, while spaced above 25 suchspring connection are through holes within the backwardly extendingflange of each angle I3 for the reception of the through rod I6 whichalso extends through the end walls 5 of the trough to act as a pivotalsupport for the baflle 30 II. This baffle II is cut-away in the lowerportion thereof as indicated at IT so that the baffle may be readilypulled backwardly over the auxiliary trough 8 for inspection of thegears and their condition, at any time.

It will be noted that the angles I3 are positioned with their projectingflanges inwardly in respect to the baflie II, resulting in a quiteconvenient construction of the unit, in that the holding flanges I8 ofthe end walls 5 also extend 4o inwardly with the object of the unitemploying as narrow a space as possible, and that the holding boltsindicated at I9 of the unit may also function as holding means for theextending strips 20, each carrying an upstanding lug 2| to which theopposite end of the contractile springs I5 are attached so that theirpulling force tends to normally hold the baffle in operative position asshown in Figure 1 of the drawing. 50 This baflle is seen to'be suppliedwith a suitable handle indicated at 22 for convenient manipulation ofsame for the purpose previously described.

It is also to be noted that the end walls 5 of the unit are shaped inthe peculiar manner Just above 10 I shown, that is with the innerportions thereof extending well inwardly of the pinion shaft as well asthe front wall extending above the shaft 4 of the pinion, the same beingto insure against any possibility of the unit being drawn inwardly andengaging the gears in the event of the same working loose, as it is wellknown such large gears while in operation present a hazard well to guardagainst.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. A lubricating unit for a pinion driving a larger gear comprising in,combination a troughlike structure about the lower and front portion ofsaid pinion, end walls for said trough extending beneath and upwardly infront of the shaft of said pinion, an auxiliary smaller trough extendingforwardly of said end walls and communicating with said first trough,the front wall of said first trough extending upwardly above saidauxiliary trough and in front of said pinion, and a splash board.pivotally carried in the forward edge of said end walls and. extendinginwardly and above said front wall of said first trough, and resilientmeans for normally holding said splash board in operative position.

2. A lubricating unit for heavy intermeshing gears or the like wherein arelatively small driving pinion is employed for driving the larger gear,

comprising in combination a, trough-like housing aboutithelower portionof said pinion, an upright shield pivotally mounted transverse the frontportion of said trough and extending above a horizontal plane with thetop of said pinion, said trough characterized by having an extensionthrough and in front of said shield whereby to receivea lubricantforwardly of said shield.

3. A lubricating unit for heavy intermeshing gears or the like wherein arelatively small driving pinion is employed for driving the larger gear,comp-rising in combination a housing about the lower portion and frontof said pinion, means for receiving and conveying a lubricant to thebottom of said housing from in front of said housing, and meansadjustably carried by said housing and extending above the top of saidpinion to prevent splashing of lubricant outside of said housing.

4. A lubricating unit for heavy intermeshing gears or the like wherein arelatively small driving pinion is employed for driving a larger gear,comprising in combination a housing about the lower portion and front ofsaid pinion, a lateral inclined feeding trough extending from saidhousing to a point remote from said pinion, whereby lubricant maybesupplied to said trough to flow by gravity to the bottom of saidhousing, and means adjustably carried by said housing and extendingabove the top of said, pinion to prevent splashing of lubricantoutsideof said housing.

5. A lubricating unit for heavy intermeshing gears or the like whereina, relatively small driving pinion is employed for driving a relativelylarge gear, comprising in combination a housing about the lower portionand front of said pinion, means for receiving and conveying a lubricantto the bottom of said housing from in front of said housing, meansadjustably carried by said housing and extending above the pinion toprevent splashing of lubricant outside of the housing, and means forbiasing said last mentioned means in normal operative position.

VICTOR A.

